Populations of farmland, woodland and marine birds have all fallen dramatically over the past 50 years, according to new government figures. In all bird species, populations have declined by six per cent since 1970, but some species saw stunning declines over the past five decades, as pesticides, the intensification of farming and the removal of hedgerows wreaked havoc. Bird populations are seen as a key indicator of the health of the natural world as they tend to feed on small insects that are the basis of the food chain. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said the figures, produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said that “wildlife is in serious trouble”.
The figures cover 130 bird species, including turtle doves, corn buntings, willow tits and grey partridges, which have all fallen to less than 10 per cent of the levels in 1970. Birds associated with farmland, which covers 75 per cent of land in the UK, were down by 55 per cent, woodland birds by 21 per cent and seabirds by 20 per cent. On farmland birds, the Defra report said: “The majority of this decline occurred between the late 70s and the 80s largely due to the impact of rapid changes in farmland management during this period. “More recently decline has continued but slowed; the smoothed index decreased by eight per cent between 2009 and 2014.”
Source: The Independent, 19 May 2017
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/uk-bird-numbers-species-declin…
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